Astrocytes, which are brain cells that regulate neuronal communication, show long-term degradation from stress.
“The experience of traumatic events can lead to neuropsychiatric disorders, including anxiety, depression, and drug addiction,” says Dr. Si-Qiong June Liu of LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine.
Dr. Liu is the lead author of a new study on mice that reveals at least one way in which stress physiologically changes the way a brain operates
The journal for neuroscience JNeurosci has published the study.
In research with mice, Liu’s study finds that even a single stressful event can quickly cause long-lasting changes to an astrocyte.
When experiencing stress, the astrocytes shrink away from synapses resulting in disruption of neural communication. Synapses are structures that allow information to pass from one cell to another via neurotransmitters.
Researchers will need to carry out further studies to see whether the effect of stress on mice is the same as it is on humans. Liu notes, however, that there is a good chance that the molecular pathways involved in her research also exist in humans.
“Stress alters brain function and produces lasting changes in human behavior and physiology. Investigation of the neurobiology of stress can reveal how stress affects neuronal connections and hence brain function. This knowledge is necessary for developing strategies to prevent or treat these common stress-related neurological disorders.”
— Si-Qiong June Liu
Not all the cells in the brain are neurons. Between 33% and 66% of them, are glial cells. The name comes from the Greek word “glía,” which means “glue.” Scientists gave them this name because they initially believed that glial cells simply h